2008 Woodie Awards
Wildcat superstar skates toward national accolades during '07 season
Kyle Whitney
Issue date: 6/8/07 Section: Sports
On the frosty and secluded shores of Lake Superior, Marquette annually experiences long winters and even longer hockey seasons. But this season, in the quiet town where college hockey never truly stops, one player is flying high and staying just below the radar.
Meet Mike Santorelli. From Burnaby, British Columbia, he is a 6-foot, 190 pound forward who came to Northern more than two seasons ago, fresh out of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). He was raw and unmolded, looking to mature and searching for his identity.
If you ask anyone connected with NMU hockey about Mike today, they will all tell you the same thing. He is a hard worker that leads by example and cares about everyone in the locker room. He is a modest guy who keeps to himself, a team player that is all smiles.
They will go on to tell you how it has all finally come together for the junior and how, as of late, Mike has quietly become one of the top players in college hockey.
"I just wanted to come out here this year and I wanted to work hard," Mike says after stepping off the ice, nearly an hour after the end of a team practice. "After last year, I talked with the coaches about what I needed to work on. I'm starting to pick it up now and I'm starting to produce some more offense."
In his third season at Northern, Mike has certainly had more than enough offensive production. In just 34 games, he has amassed 26 goals and 16 assists. His 42 points are a personal best for his time at NMU and his goal total is good for first place in the CCHA and second in the nation.
The 26 markers also account for 33 percent of NMU's season total.
"He's our MVP," NMU captain Pat Bateman says of Mike. "He always scores timely goals and he takes the burden off of everyone else. We need Mike going every night or we could be in trouble."
Mike established his scoring prowess early in his career as a youngster in the BCHL. In 120 games with the Langley Hornets and Vernon Vipers, he gathered 67 goals and 81 assists.
Meet Mike Santorelli. From Burnaby, British Columbia, he is a 6-foot, 190 pound forward who came to Northern more than two seasons ago, fresh out of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). He was raw and unmolded, looking to mature and searching for his identity.
If you ask anyone connected with NMU hockey about Mike today, they will all tell you the same thing. He is a hard worker that leads by example and cares about everyone in the locker room. He is a modest guy who keeps to himself, a team player that is all smiles.
They will go on to tell you how it has all finally come together for the junior and how, as of late, Mike has quietly become one of the top players in college hockey.
"I just wanted to come out here this year and I wanted to work hard," Mike says after stepping off the ice, nearly an hour after the end of a team practice. "After last year, I talked with the coaches about what I needed to work on. I'm starting to pick it up now and I'm starting to produce some more offense."
In his third season at Northern, Mike has certainly had more than enough offensive production. In just 34 games, he has amassed 26 goals and 16 assists. His 42 points are a personal best for his time at NMU and his goal total is good for first place in the CCHA and second in the nation.
The 26 markers also account for 33 percent of NMU's season total.
"He's our MVP," NMU captain Pat Bateman says of Mike. "He always scores timely goals and he takes the burden off of everyone else. We need Mike going every night or we could be in trouble."
Mike established his scoring prowess early in his career as a youngster in the BCHL. In 120 games with the Langley Hornets and Vernon Vipers, he gathered 67 goals and 81 assists.
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